1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved toothbrush which permits the user to brush both sides of a tooth at the same time. The present invention also incorporates a novel design for a toothbrush which facilitates more efficient cleaning of all parts of a tooth, including the spaces between teeth where food particles and other matter can become lodged. While primarily applicable for use with human beings, the design of the improved toothbrush can also be used on animals. Veterinarians can use this brush when cleaning the teeth of animals such as dogs or cats which have been sedated in order to permit this treatment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, the conventional toothbrush is a well known instrument for cleaning and brushing human teeth. The brush consists of a handle, usually made of plastic-like material which contains a set of bristles at one end. The bristles or brush portion of the toothbrush are coated with toothpaste and used to brush the teeth clean. A major drawback in the conventional well known toothbrush is that an individual can only brush one side of his teeth at a given time. In theory, the individual could brush his teeth on one side, then reverse the brush and brush the inside of his teeth in a second operation. In fact, this is very seldom done. Most individuals are in a hurry in the morning and usually only brush the front side of their teeth.
Plaque is a film of mucus harboring bacteria on a tooth. Plaque forms on the tooth during the night while the individual is asleep. Brushing the front portion of the tooth removes the plaque from this side of the tooth. However, failure to brush the rear face of the tooth results in the plaque which has formed on the rear portion of the tooth remaining there. Other implements are useful for removing food particles and other debri from between teeth. One example is a water pick which shoots a jet of water between the teeth to facilitate dislodging the food particles which are impacted between teeth. A second example is dental floss which can be inserted between teeth to remove impacted food particles and also to remove plaque which has formed between teeth. Therefore, the conventional toothbrush is effective for removing plaque from the front side of the tooth and the water pick and dental floss are effective for removing matter and plaque from between teeth. However, neither is effective for removing plaque from the rear side of the tooth. As a result, the plaque continues to build up and harbor bacteria on the rear face of the tooth. This results in serious decay beginning on the rear face of the tooth which ultimately leads to cavities and in more serious situations to the entire loss of the diseased tooth.
There is no effective implement known in the prior art for effectively brushing the rear face of a tooth. As previously mentioned, in theory an individual could reverse the toothbrush after brushing the front side of his teeth and then brush the rear face of the teeth. In fact, this is seldom done because the individual is usually in a hurry to get to work in the morning when he brushes his teeth and additionally, trying to reverse a conventional toothbrush and use it to brush the inside surface of the teeth is an uncomfortable and awkward operation. As a result, either the rear side of the individual's teeth is not brushed at all or else it is only partially and ineffectively brushed through use of a conventional toothbrush.